While plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce resumed this month in the World Trade Organization arenas (see EUROPE 12247/7) on Monday 27 May, the Trade Council validated the European mandate in these talks.
These negotiating directives complement those given to the European Commission in the context of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, which are almost 20 years old. They include the Union's position on aspects related to e-commerce.
"The digitalization of our economy has fundamentally changed the way businesses and consumers do trade. It was high time for international rules to reflect this transformation", said Ștefan-Radu Oprea, Romania's Minister for Trade, whose country holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. "The EU is committed to working with its WTO partners to put in place an ambitious and pragmatic framework that will guarantee a safe and predictable environment for online trade", he said (see EUROPE 12253/7).
The objective of the negotiations is to establish international rules for global electronic commerce. As a major exporter of digital products, the Union calls for the participation of a large number of countries in ambitious talks, but is very cautious on data protection issues. The directives also recall the European limits on any commitment that may affect its rules on the protection of private data.
Provisions that "continue to concern" the European services industry, according to Nicholas Hodac, Chair of the European Services Forum's working party on digital trade, who also recalls the "crucial role that the European Union must play in these talks".
To read the Trade Council Decision: https://bit.ly/2Ex4IAf and the text of the negotiating directives on e-commerce: https://bit.ly/2wltz5I. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)